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Wilson Center Launches New Site

Nov 18, 2002

On November 18, 2002 the Wilson Center launched a newly redesigned website. With this redesign, the homepage and top-tier navigation will provide more direct links to the various regional and topical programs, the events calendar, news articles, fellows and scholars, audio and video of Dialogue broadcasts (both radio and TV), and Wilson Quarterly articles, among other resources.

Funded with a generous grant from the Ford Foundation, the site redesign represents a critical step in bringing one of the nation's treasures to a global audience. Designed by the award-winning local design firm, Grafik Marketing Communications, the site not only has a new face, but a new brain as well. The site is no longer programmed in HTML (a static browser language) but instead is database-driven, allowing the visitor a more customized, interactive experience. Also new to the site is a content management system, affording a more efficient process for site maintenance.

"Since the attacks of September 11, 2001, many Americans have taken a greater interest in foreign affairs," said Lauren Crowley, web editor and manager of the redesign project. "Many of those Americans rely on the Internet as their number one source for information. It is our goal that the Wilson Center be among their first stops to get current and impartial analysis of policy and the issues facing our nation and the world."

Living Memorial to Woodrow Wilson

Were he alive today, President Woodrow Wilson himself would no doubt marvel at how the Internet can connect not only scholars and policymakers, but people all over the globe. As a scholar and educator, he would recognize the vast opportunities the Internet yields for educating the public on the social and political issues that matter. A statesman who loved the art of debate, Wilson would relish the capacity for dialogue and the exchange of ideas that the Internet and e-mail facilitate. As an expression of the Center's role as a living memorial to President Wilson, a section of the site is dedicated to Wilson's life, his presidency, and ideals. In addition, the footer of each page on the site will feature one of his many eloquent quotes.

Portal to Programs, Events

The Center's varied programs explore key domestic and international issues through conferences, seminars, and publications. The new website will provide direct access to each of these topical and regional programs where you will be able to download publications, event summaries, historical documents, among other resources.

The Center is unique in the volume and quality of its meetings. With more than 350 events a year, no other similar organization in town has the breadth and variety of topics and views expressed. One of the main areas on the new site will feature Center events; details on upcoming events are presented along with cogent summaries and in-depth coverage of past events. In this section, you will find speech transcripts as well as both live and on-demand webcasts of select events. Webcasting allows the Center to more widely diffuse the research and knowledge that results from the scholarship and dialogue that take place here every day, affording those outside the Beltway the opportunity to learn from the preeminent speakers that the Center attracts weekly.

In addition, the site will offer employment and internship information, fellowship information and application materials, a media guide, speeches, articles, and commentaries by Director Lee Hamilton, and biographical information for staff, fellows, scholars, board and council members.

Fellows & Scholars

New to the redesigned site is a section dedicated to the Center's fellows and scholars—men and women from academia, public service, journalism, and business who come to the Center to pursue research and writing on a remarkable array of topics in the social sciences and humanities. Here you will find biographical information as well as details on the project each of these preeminent scholars will pursue while in residence at the Center. During their time in residence, fellows and scholars publish op-eds and papers pertaining to their Center project. The website provides an excellent vehicle for them to publicize their work.

Publications

Also new to the site is an online complement to Centerpoint. Often, the nuggets of information that Centerpoint offers on any given event, issue, scholar, or publication are snapshots of a larger picture. The website will now offer additional information or resources on select features. Whenever more information is available online, you will find a symbol to let you know to go to www.wilsoncenter.org/centerpoint where you will find links to more details and resources.

The Woodrow Wilson Center Press has published more than 1,100 books by fellows, other resident scholars, and staff written in substantial part at the Center. The site will serve as a gateway to these books, highlighting current and upcoming titles as well as a searchable backlist and catalogs. Book details will include a book description, ordering information, table of contents, commentary, and author information.

Due to popular demand, the Wilson Center Update, an e-newsletter, will debut with the new site. The e-newsletter will feature the month's events calendar, links to webcasts of special events, recent news articles, speech transcripts, among other highlights. To subscribe, enter your e-mail address in the box provided.

Dialogue Radio and TV Online

Many believe that television and the Internet have become our society's electronic commons and that the rapid convergence occurring in the field of electronic media will require strategic use of these technologies. For the past two years, dialogue has been taking full advantage of these two mediums by webcasting its radio programs and this year plans to do the same with its new TV broadcasts. The advantage of streaming is the around-the-clock availability online of audio and video, giving listeners the option to tune into the programs anytime.

Wilson Quarterly Online

One of the most frequently visited pages on the Wilson Center website, the Wilson Quarterly online (also found at www.wilsonquarterly.com) will offer its online readers selected essays, book reviews, and articles from leading periodicals and scholarly journals. New to the site is an exclusive service for subscribers, the WQ Archive---an index of selected essays spanning the 25-year history of the WQ.

Visitors to the Center's new and improved website will find a wealth of information with a more user-friendly and attractive interface. The Center welcomes feedback on the new site, particularly suggestions to improve the site to better serve your needs. Visit www.wilsoncenter.org often and let us know what you think. Send any comments and suggestions to: wwics@wilsoncenter.org or call Lauren Crowley, Web editor at 202/691-4231.